Writing, money, and ledgers, are the three basic building blocks that allowed humanity to progress past the days of foraging for berries and hunting wild game to the advanced global civilization we are today.
Writing allowed us to convey knowledge and information that made it possible to cooperate and build on the findings of others.
Money allowed for the efficient allocation of scarce resources and the facilitation of trade.
Ledgers allowed all these activities and transactions to be recorded so we could trust one another beyond immediate friend groups.
Being able to trust one another is perhaps one of the most important facilitators of economic and social activity. When you perform a transaction you trust that the service you’re getting is what you paid for. When you put your money in a bank, you trust that the bank is a reputable third party to store assets. When you use the internet you trust that your data is secure and won’t be given away to bad actors.